Council extends oil, gas moratorium

Dexter City officials voted to extend a moratorium on oil and gas exploration within city limits during their regular city council meeting Monday.

The vote extends the moratorium for an additional six months, through March 2016. The original moratorium was enacted after council learned of plans to drill for oil and gas in Dexter’s Business and Research Park. Currently there are no regulations on oil and gas drilling within the city and the moratorium is meant to buy the city time to craft ones.

The moratorium was enacted “to allow the City an opportunity to investigate the likely effects of oil and gas operations on the local public health, safety and welfare, and … (to) amend the Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance, in order to develop and establish appropriate regulations, as authorized in the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.”

The original moratorium was enacted in March and, according to a memo from Community Development Manager Michelle Aniol, the planning department “has been working diligently towards this goal” but won’t be finished in time.